Montana Sapphires

There are not many gemstones that actually come from the US. Because mining and production, is so expensive, most companies just stay away from it. Montana sapphires are natural sapphires found only in the state of Montana. They are usually very small in size, and a 1 carat stone is considered huge. They are not treated usually, and are sold as natural gemstones. I love them. The ring is a blue oval Montana Sapphire, about a 1/2 carat. It is surrounded by pink sapphires, not from Montana though. It is sterling silver, and will be available to purchase in my Etsy store soon.

Montana Sapphire and Pink Sapphire Ring

The ring setting itself is a sterling silver, with pink sapphires. Then I set the Montana blue sapphire in the center. Both the blue sapphire, and the setting were not originally joined together. I had an Alexandrite in the setting, but I just never really liked the look that much. Then I put my Montana Sapphire in there, and it is a perfect look, the blue, and the pink together. This one is a part of my personal collection, and I have been known to frequently move my stones from setting to setting until I find what I like best. I do not do this with the items I sell, because it does come with risk of scratching the stone, or breaking prongs. I love Montana Sapphires, they are almost always natural in color, and they come in a huge variety of colors. They are never very large, so a big stone might be a 6x4 oval.

Montana Sapphires The Native American Sapphires

If you are from the USA, and you love to collect gemstones, native to the states, then Montana Sapphires are for you. For a long time, they were not considered coveted, as compared to some other sources of Sapphires, because they lacked the desired blue color. Now with modern heat treating, the more desirable colors of blue can be obtained. Plus Montana Sapphires come in almost every color, and hue, of the rainbow. Most stones are small, another reason for lack of marketability, but that is starting to change. There are 4 different mining areas, for Sapphires, in Montana. Rock Creek, which offers some mining to the public. The other three sites are located on the Missouri River, about 15 miles from Helena.

The rings pictured, are of Montana Sapphires, from my collection. The cluster ring, contains 3 blue Montana Sapphires, then in the fourth slot is a Tanzanite. For some reason, possibly a flaw in the ring design, the fourth Montana Sapphire would not fit in that space, so I put a Tanzanite in there the next closest colored stone I had. See if you can notice which one it is. I was going to sell that one, but with the flaw, it will stay in my collection, and yes I wear it. The second ring, is an unheated Montana Sapphire, which would make it completely natural. It is 6mmx4mm oval, and is set in a sterling silver ring. This one also is not for sale, because I love it, and it will stay in my collection. For me I love collecting stones from my native country, plus I love the affordability of a Montana Sapphire, compared to a Ceylon Sapphire.